Monday Night Football (How I Met Your Mother)

"Monday Night Football"
How I Met Your Mother episode
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 14
Directed by	Rob Greenberg
Written by	Carter Bays & Craig Thomas
Production code	2ALH14
Original air date	February 5, 2007
Guest stars
Lyndsy Fonseca (Daughter) Emmitt Smith (Himself) Nicholas Roget-King (Doug) David Henrie (Son) Monique Edwards (Producer)
Season 2 episodes
Where Were We? The Scorpion and the Toad Brunch Ted Mosby: Architect World's Greatest Couple Aldrin Justice Swarley Atlantic City Slap Bet Single Stamina How Lily Stole Christmas First Time in New York Columns Monday Night Football Lucky Penny Stuff Arrivederci, Fiero Moving Day Bachelor Party Showdown Something Borrowed Something Blue

"Monday Night Football" is the 14th episode in the second season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on February 5, 2007.

Plot

Ted's favorite holiday is Super Bowl Sunday. He has everything planned out continuing their tradition of watching it together with hot wings. The gang's plans are cut short when they find out a worker at the bar has died. They are forced into going to the funeral otherwise they won't be allowed back in the bar. The funeral starts at the same time as the Super Bowl, so they tape it figuring they'll watch it afterwards. The wake lasts too long and they run out of time to watch the Super Bowl. They plan to not find out the score of the game until the next day to watch it together. Ted works at home so no one can tell him the score while Barney handcuffs himself to Ted's wall, so he can't find the score, because he has a lot of money on the game. Robin does the best she can to avoid the media, even though she works in news.

Finally Marshall goes to class with Lily for show and tell, but must bribe one of her students not to reveal the score. Ted constructs a device so he can get the wings and not find out the score while he's in the sports bar, but must go back to get the dipping sauce. Meanwhile Barney escapes from Ted's and tries as hard as he can to find the score of the game. He runs into many people including Emmitt Smith, who have all missed the game. Marshall continues to be tormented by the student until he gets him back by spraying juice on his pants and threatens to tell everyone he wet his pants. While Ted is back in the bar getting the sauce, he trips but doesn't find out the score, Barney checks the newspaper, Robin hears the winner at the station, and a janitor has the radio on in the school revealing the score of the game to Lily (who covers Marshall's ears to keep him from hearing too), thus almost all of them know the score of the game without even watching it. Marshall, Lily and Robin head to Ted's but don't reveal that they know who won, and Barney promises he won't tell... only to be heard loudly screaming that he lost every bet... thus ruining the game for Ted having known who Barney bet on. Despite this, the five decide to sit down and watch the game anyway and still manage to enjoy themselves as much as ever. Future Ted finishes the story by telling his kids that he doesn't remember who won or even who played, but he'll always remember the evening as a fun one he spent with his friends.

Music

• Peter Bjorn and John - "Young Folks"

Continuity

• Doug, the kid who was blackmailing Marshall and a student in Lily's class, is also the kid who dumps Robin in "Little Boys".
• The Sensory Deprivator 5000 that Ted makes in this episode is shown being used by Barney when he accompanies Lily to a reproduction specialist in "Bad News".

Cultural references

• When Barney asks Emmitt Smith, "What is more important than the Super Bowl?", Emmitt Smith replies, "Dance, my friend, dance", referring to his appearing on and winning Dancing with the Stars.
• Janet Jackson is mentioned, but the gang misses the infamous wardrobe malfunction.
• The Super Bowl that year was Super Bowl XLI, taking place the night before the airing of the episode on February 4, 2007. The game featured the Indianapolis Colts beating the Chicago Bears by a score of 29 to 17.

Critical response

Staci Krause of IGN gave this episode a rating of 7.4 out of 10.^[1] This is the lowest rating given by IGN to any episode in season 2.^[2]

References

1. ^ How I Met Your Mother: "Monday Night Football" Review A post-Super Bowl episode that disappoints more than entertains. February 6, 2007 by Staci Krause http://tv.ign.com/articles/761/761803p1.html
2. ^ How I Met Your Mother: Season 2 http://tv.ign.com/objects/850/850676.html

External links

• Monday Night Football at the Internet Movie Database
• Monday Night Football at TV.com